Stilfontein mine situation ‘worse than Marikana’ - lawyer
A human rights group has likened the government’s approach to forcing illegal miners out of an abandoned mine shaft in Stilfontein, North West, to the Marikana massacre.
The Society for the Protection of Our Constitution has approached the courts to end an operation that has seen scores of illegal miners unable to resurface.
The government has, however, maintained that the miners were not trapped but were instead evading arrest by staying underground.
At least one body has been retrieved from the shaft, while community members who volunteered to rescue miners have claimed there are several more bodies underground.
Last week, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni came under fire for saying government would not relent in its efforts to combat illegal mining.
READ MORE: Govt won't help criminals stay underground - Ntshavheni
Operation Vala Umgodi, launched in December 2023, has already seen significant progress in combating illegal mining across seven provinces.
The lawyer representing the applicant, Yasmin Omar, has accused the government of denying emaciated and weakened miners’ emergency assistance.
“Prior to when this court process began, they said these are criminals underground, and we will not give them assistance. So, to make an about turn now and say that we are giving them food, this was not the attitude of the government, and they must take responsibility for what they have said and done.”
Omar said the situation was similar to August 2012 when 34 striking miners were gunned down by police over 200 kilometres from Stilfontein, near Rustenburg.
“The fact is we are sitting with another situation that is even worse than Marikana. It’s no good for us to be commemorating Marikana every year when we are allowing a situation where a significant number of lives are going to be lost while we are watching. We’re watching a mass killing of people.”
Meanwhile, the South African Council of Churches (SACC) has joined the contentious public debate around the Stilfontein operation.
In a statement, the council commented on the Ntshavheni’s utterances, saying they raised questions about its constitutionality.
“The sentiment of the minister revealed disregard for the common human dignity held by all and should be a cause for concern,” it said.
The SACC appealed to the police to follow the law and maintain respect for the illegal miners.
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